The Drawbridge

As he left for a visit to his outlying districts, the jealous BARON warned his pretty wife: "Do not leave the castle while I am gone, or I will punish you severely when I return!"

But as the hours passed, the young BARONESS grew lonely, and despite her husband’s warning, decided to visit her LOVER who lived in the countryside nearby.

The castle was located on an island in a wide, fast flowing river, with a drawbridge linking the island and the land at the narrowest point in the river."Surely my husband will not return before dawn," she thought, and ordered the servants to lower the drawbridge and leave it down until she returned.

​After spending several pleasant hours with her LOVER, the BARONESS returned to the drawbridge, only to find it blocked by a GATEMAN wildly waving a long and extremely sharp knife.

"Do not attempt to cross this bridge, BARONESS. If you attempt to do so, I have orders from the BARON to kill you," he said. Fearing for her life, the BARONESS returned to her LOVER and asked him to help.

"Our relationship is only a romantic one," he said, "I will not help." The BARONESS then sought out a BOATMAN on the river, explained her plight to him, and asked him to take her across the river in his boat.

"I will do it, but only if you can pay my fee of five Marks."

"But I have no money with me!" the BARONESS protested.

"That is too bad. No, money, no ride," the BOATMAN said flatly.

Her fear growing, the BARONESS ran crying to the home of a FRIEND, and after again explaining the situation, begged for enough money to pay the BOATMAN his fee.

"If you had not disobeyed your husband, this would not have happened," the FRIEND said. "I will give you no money."

With dawn approaching and her last resource exhausted, the BARONESS returned to the bridge in desperation, attempted to cross to the castle, and was slain by the GATEMAN.

Directions:

Process the activity

In the story above there are six characters. Rank the characters in the order of their responsibility for the death of the BARONESS (1 = most responsible; 6 = least responsible).

After you have decided on your own ranking, get with a group of five or six people and decide on a GROUP ranking for the six characters. You may not agree, but you must come to a consensus.

What feelings were provoked during this activity and your decision making process? Why?

In attempting to reach a group consensus, were you convinced of a different ranking order?

How does this exercise relate to societal values and norms?

How does this exercise relate to social identity and mental models?

Drawbridge Exercise: Paradigm Explanations

Mrs. Amy Carter

acarter@lexrich5.org

803.575.5400803.575.5420 (fax)

Chapin High School300 Columbia AvenueChapin, South Carolina 29036​United States of America

"As we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." - Marianne Williamson